Self-locking fuel-chute.



v A. H. HOBBS. SELF LOOKING FUEL GHUTE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1913.

1,083,014, Patented Dc 30, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTDN, D. c.

UNITED s'rn'rns PATENT orrien ARTHUR H. HOBBS, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR T0 RAYMOND E. VOORHEES,

OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

SELF-LOCKING FUEL-CHUTE.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. Home, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Locking Fuel- Chutes, of which the following is a specification. 7

My invention relates to means for automatically locking swinging doors in such manner that the same may be readily released from a point at any desired distance while at the same time being proof against unlocking from without by unauthorized persons.

While not limited in its application the invention is particularly adapted to closures for fuel chutes and the like. Heretofore chute closures of this type have been made with certain of their locking parts of'cast or heavy strap or angle iron in order to secure necessary rigidity and stiffness due to the fact that the locking members are subject to compressive strain in resisting attempts to open same from without; also the locking devices have, when the chute is open, presented more or less of an obstruction within the chute to the free passage of coal or other material therethrough.

The principal objects of my invention are to so construct a chute and its locking mech-' anism that the locking parts are subject to tension only whereby to render possible the attainment of greater security with lighter metal and also to cause the locking parts to clear the passage through the chute when the door is open.

With these objects in view I provide a fuel chute for instance which is constructed of light metal such as sheet iron, absolute rigidity not being required for the reason that the locking parts are so arranged as to be called upon to resist tensile strain only when efforts are made to effect a burglarious opening of the same and I also mount the looking latch upon the movable closure so that when the latter is open the latch is automatically swung upward and retained in a position above the chute channel close to the upper wall of the same and out of the path of material passing through the chute.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 12, 1913.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913. Serial No. 766,951.

In order that the invention may be readily understood a preferred embodiment of the same is set forth in the accompanying drawing and in the description based thereon. As, however, the invention is capable of em bodiment in other and varied forms of construction the drawing and description are to be construed in an illustrative and not in an unnecessarily limiting sense.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a vertical section through a coal chute showing the same in the open position; and Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in a closed position.

As herein shown the fuel chute is constructed preferably of heavy sheet steel and consists of the rectangular body portion 11 suitably secured in an aperture 12 of the wall 13. In order to effect the mount-ing of the chute firmly in position, the body portion 11 is advantageously supplied with a sheet metal angle iron lat riveted to its front face and an angle iron 15 riveted upon its side faces for abutment against the front and rear faces respectively of the wall 13. A stifiening angle plate 16 may also be advantageously secured to the rear under edge of the chute.

At the front of the chute is a door 17 hinged at 18 to the body portion of the chute and extending rearwardly from each side of the door 17 is a heavy sheet metal wing 19 preferably formed radius substantially equal to the height of the chute. At the rear corner of each of the sector wings 19 is secured a plate 20, the two plates being connected by a cross bar 21 which may be secured to or formed integral with the plates 20. Pivoted to the cross bar 21 at 22- is a latch 23 adapted to swing by gravity when the chute is closed into a position where its lower hooked end 24 will engage over the lower rear edge of the chute body 11 where reinforced by the angle strip 16. Also rigidly mounted upon the cross bar 21 is a plate 25 which underlies the latch 23 and serves as a stop to limit the swing of the same in one direction to a plane which is substantially parallel to that of the door 17 whereby when the door is in the open position as shown in Fig. 1 the latch will be supported by said stop snugly against the as a sector having a.

upper wall of the chute body 11 out of the path of material passing through the chute. A lug 2G riveted to the upper wall of the chute in its forward portion serves to engage the cross bar 21 and limit the forward swing of the door 17 to a position substantially parallel to and forming a continuation of the lower wall of the chute body 11. A hand ring 27 attached to the door 17 serves for the manual opening and closing of the door when unlocked while the cord 28 attached to the latch 28 and extending to any convenient point whether near or remote serves to lift the hooked end 24 of the latch 23 out of engagement with the catch formed by the lower rear edge of the chute body when it is desired to unlock the door and permit the same to be opened.

While I have described my invention as applied particularly in connection with fuel chutes, it will be apparent that it might be applied to a large variety of uses. For example, a wall safe might readily be con structed having a door and locking mechanism embodying this invention, the door being unlocked by operating a cord or chain extending to some concealed place.

I claim: 7

1. In combination, a door hinged along one side and having rearwardly ext-ending wing portions, a connection between said wings, a latch carried by said connection and adapted to automatically engage a fixed catch in the closed position of the door, and means to disengage the latch whereby the door may be opened, substantially as de scribed.

2. In combination, a door hinged along its lower side and having rearwardly extending wings. a bar connecting said wings, a latch carried by said bar and adapted to automatically engage a fixed catch in the closed position of the door, and means to disengage the latch whereby the door may be opened, substantially as described.

3. In combination, a door hinged along its lower side and having rearwardly extending wings, a bar connecting the lower rear edge of said wings, a gravity latch pivoted to said bar and adapted to automatically engage the fixed catch in the closed position of the door, and means to disengage the latch whereby the door may be opened, substantially as described.

4. In combination, a door hinged along its lower side and having rearwardly extending wings, a bar connecting said wings, a latch carried by said bar and adapted to automatically engage a fixed catch in the closed position of the door, means to disengage the latch whereby the door may be opened, and a stop to limit the downward swing of the latch to a plane substantially parallel to that of the door in its open position, substantially as described;

5. In combination, a door hinged along its lower side and having rearwardly extending wings, a bar connecting the lower rear edge of said wings, a gravity latch pivoted to said-bar and adapted to automatically engage a fixed catch in the closed position of the door, means to disengage the latch whereby the door may be opened, and a stop to limit the downward swing of the latch to a plane substantially parallel to that of the door in its open position, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a casing, of a door hinged along its lower edge to the casing, a pair of sector wings extending rearwardly from the door into the casing and serving as side walls in the open position of the door, a bar connecting the wings, a gravity latch pivoted to the bar and adapted to automatically engage a fixed catch in the closed position of the door, and means to disengage the latch whereby the door may be opened, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a casing, of a door hinged along its lower edge to the casing, a pair of sector wings extending rearwardly from the door into the casing and serving as side walls in the open position of the door, a bar connecting the wings, a gravity latch pivoted to the bar and adapted to automatically engage a fixed catch in the closed position of the door, a stop arranged to limit the downward'swing of the latch to a plane substantially parallel to the door in its open position, and means to disengage the latch from the catch whereby the door may be opened, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a casing, of a door hinged along its lower edge to the easing, a pair of sector wings extending rearwardly from the door into the casing and serving as side walls in the open position of the door, a bar connecting the wings, a gravity latch pivoted to the door and adapted to automatically engage a fixed catch in the closed position of the door, a stop plate secured to the bar and underlying the latch to limit the downward swing of the latter to a plane substantially parallel to the door in its open position whereby the latch will be supported against the upper wall of the casing to leave the opening free of obstruction, and means operable from a distance to disengage the latch whereby the door may be opened, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a casing, of a door hinged along its lower edge to the easing, a pair of sector wings extending rearwardly from the door into the casing and serving as side walls in the open position of the door, a bar connecting the wings, a In witness whereof I have hereunto aflixed gravity latch pivoted to the central portion my signature in the presence of two witof the bar and adapted to automatically ennesses.

gage the lower rear edge of the casing in the ARTHUR H. HOBBS. 5 closed positionbf the door, and means to Witnesses:

disengage the latch whereby the door may GEORGIE M. MGOREADY,

be opened, substantially as described. EDNA ELLERTSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

